Happy Felix Day
Dave · September 9, 2008 at 8:29 am · Filed Under Mariners
In the spirit of Felix Day, another chart – this one from Felix’s last start against Texas.
I promise, I’m almost done with the graphs and will get back to writing soon.
And yes, that big blue clump in the upper left hand corner – that would be establishing the fastball. It’s worth noting that the only run of the game came in the first inning, and the M’s lost 1-0.
I like the charts! Get back to writing whenever, but the charts are a nice way to visualize your talking points. They make things visually literate, which is cool.
The first blotch is very interesting and shows very clearly what we have all known for years. The Open Letter may not have worked in drilling home the point, but perhaps if someone could place this dramatic picture in Felix’s paws, it would at least show just how obvious, and frequent, this pattern emerges in his starts?
It’s an organizational issue – the Mariners don’t want to stop establishing the fastball. The pitching coach who knew that was a bad idea got canned and replaced by someone who wanted the staff to throw more fastballs.
The M’s don’t know anything about pitching, and until the people in charge are removed, this will always be a problem.
The M’s don’t know anything about pitching? But they managed to lock up Washburn, Batista and Silva in multi-year contracts in tough free agent markets.
Putz was at his apex last year, Sherrill is really, really good….So of course that meant Morrow spent the year in the pen.
Last year, Morrow starting instead of HoRam would have had greater benefit to the team. Sherrill was used largely as LOOGY, since his eventual success against right handers and as a closer was impossible to predict.
And the good ship USSMariner is arguing that M’s lack proper tools and skills to evaluate pitching?
Why does it look like there were no pitches thrown around the 50 pitch mark on the graph? No F-X results for those pitches?
“Establish” the one pitch that every major leaguer should be able to hit. “Here, can you handle this? Oh, well you got me this time.”
I understand T-Rex had a great fastball (just imagine if he had more proportional arms!). Poor Stegosaurus could never really catch up to it, although his good range kept him in the lineup.
I am not asking for anyone else to do this. I don’t know if there’s enough data to make it meaningful, even. But would it be theoretically possible to construct a study that examined the early-inning patterns of power pitchers and the results? Not that I would expect the Mariner organization to care if such a study demonstrated that establishing the fastball resulted in more early runs scored, but it might be interesting for everyone else.
Burnett trying to show Felix how it’s done:
Griffey up, Konerko just walked. He throws two fastballs to go 1-1 (strike called). He then throws a curve to get a swinging strike, throws two more (they end up in the dirt) for the full count, and with the count at 3-2 and Griffey convinced he’s being served a fastball he gets another curve on the inside corner and Ks swinging.
Felix Day, the best day of the week.
#1 reason I still pay undivided attention to the Mariners this season.
HAPPY FELIX DAY!
From Geoff Baker, 9/07…questioning whether Ibanez should continue to play left field:
“I don’t see why not,” Ibanez said, after his three-run homer and run-scoring single gave him 101 RBI for the season. “Physically, I feel very good. I feel the same that I’ve always felt, really. I don’t see why not.”
Ah, so ‘feeling good’ makes you a good fielder. Ack.
The M’s don’t know anything about _______, and until the people in charge are removed, this will always be a problem.
Sadly you could fill in almost any baseball term in there and be accurate — defense, valuing players, aging curves, patient hitting, platoon advantages, run expectancy, projecting pitchers (FIP, xFIP, BABIP not ERA), replacement level, …
I can’t blame Raul for thinking he should continue to play left. He shouldn’t have to make that call. It’s his career. I’ll blame the manager, and management, and the media, but not Raul.
It’d be most interesting if you could tie in the results to the above graph. If you start seeing K a lot more often in certain areas, then it’s easier to prove the point that he needs to make a change.
Though obviously your point has already hit home on your readers…
so, good or bad that Morse is going to winter ball to play 1st base?
Raul’s not going to say to the media, “No, I shouldn’t be playing left field. They really need to move me.”
I know, I know. But they’ll listen to him because he’s ‘the face of the franchise.’
Why does Baker quote an offense statistic in the middle of a defense question?
Who’s pitching tomorrow?
Because 100 RBI seasons translate to elite OF defense. I can’t believe you didn’t know that; this is a well established and historically proven fact. See Boston, circa Manny era. Even the common layperson knows this sort of obviousness. Next, you’re going to tell me that BA and ERA are poor stats … !
“And yes, that big blue clump in the upper left hand corner – that would be establishing the fastball.”
This is a relief. I thought for a moment that the big blue clump was a glob of jelly that one of the Mariners’ scouts spilled from his jelly donut.
Good, I think. It doesn’t mean that he will be their Plan A for first next year. More likely, he’ll be a bench player, and this just increases his skills. Maybe he’ll platoon against lefties.
I don’t recall the quality of his work in the outfield, but a guy that big is almost certainly better at first.